CHRIQUI

CHRIQUI (Shriki, Sarique [= "from the East"], or Delevante ), Moroccan family originally from Safi whose participation in commerce and politics was considerable. mordecai chriqui (d. 1790), known as "ḥazzan bakka," counselor-banker of the sultan, opposed the anti-Jewish Mulay Yazīd, who upon his ascension to the throne gave him the choice of conversion or death; Mordecai chose to be martyred. The family was settled in London from the mid-18^th century, then passing to Jamaica. abraham-Ḥayyim delevante (d. 1870) was ḥazzan in Kingston (1853–67). Later he left for Philadelphia, then St. Louis, where he died. jacob addy shriquidelevante organized the Jewish community of Safi (Morocco), effected the reopening of the port, and monopolized an important part of the traffic. His son addy shriqui represented France in Mogador as consul until 1836.

From 1823 the Western European powers used the services of joseph masʿud chriqui (d. 1864), alias "Souiri," in Tangier. He intervened successfully in the Moroccan policies toward Sweden, Norway, and the United States, as well as in the Anglo-Moroccan disputes (1849). International intrigues caused the sultan in 1851 to request his removal from the French service. Because of this and other reasons, France bombarded Salé, menaced Tangier, and demanded reparations. In later life Joseph built the She'erit Joseph Synagogue in Tangier.

bibliography:

Miège, Maroc, 2 (1961), 91–92, passim; S. Romanelli, Massa be-Arav, ed. by J.H. Schirmann (1968), 110, 138; J. Andrade, Jews in Jamaica (1941), 53, 61, 97, 107, 208, 231–2; 268; J. Caillé, Charles Jaegerschmidt (Fr., 1951), 77–82, 103–4, 113–4.

[David Corcos]